The battle cry of an evangelizing church has always been anchored in the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19–20. For centuries, this passion stirred countless believers - particularly from the West - to bring the Good News to China and many other parts of the world. Yet since the late twentieth century, church growth in the West has steadily declined, and in many places stagnated. Not only has evangelism struggled to reach the lost, but successive generations within Christian families have also been slipping away, unable or unwilling to hold on to the faith of their fathers.
At the recent Family Ministry Conference held at FGA, Kuchai Lama, Kuala Lumpur (20–22 January 2015), participants sensed a fresh and urgent shift in the church’s battle cry: the call to win back the missing generations. The keynote speaker, drawing from Deuteronomy 6:1–2, emphasized with deep conviction that passing on the faith is not merely one ministry among many. Rather, family ministry stands as the pre-eminent ministry of the church - the God-ordained means by which faith is preserved, nurtured, and faithfully handed down from one generation to the next.
One man in Singapore,
Jason Wong, is deeply convinced of the crucial role parents - especially fathers - play in safeguarding the health and strength of the family. As one of the workshop speakers, he shared how he successfully persuaded the Singapore government to adopt the
“Dads for Life” Movement in 2009. The heart of this movement is simple yet powerful: to re-ignite the passion of fathers and restore their active involvement in the lives of their children.
Jason highlighted an uncomfortable truth - many forces constantly compete for a father’s time and attention: work demands, entertainment, sports, television, and the endless distractions of new technology. Yet in the midst of these competing priorities, it is vital that fathers make one message unmistakably clear to their children: “You are my priority. My greatest investment is in you. Everything else comes second.”
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The four-plus days were not spent merely listening to talks. With the help of our newly found taxi-driver friend - who quickly became our impromptu guide - we ventured out to explore the city, discovering hidden corners and indulging in a delightful hunt for delicious local food.
Selfie with our Senior Pastor, Renny Khoo.
We also bumped into individual whom we did not expect to meet.
At Pavilion, Bukit Bintang
miss u guys
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